Cultural Tourism DC Board Elects Michael Fitzpatrick as Chairman

Media Mentions & Press Releases, &nbspApril 28, 2004

April 28, 2004

(Washington, DC) – Michael A. Fitzpatrick, counsel in the Washington office of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, has been elected chairman of the board of directors of Cultural Tourism DC (www.culturaltourismdc.org), the firm announced today.

Founded in 1996, Cultural Tourism DC (formerly DC Heritage Tourism Coalition) is a grassroots, nonprofit coalition of more than 130 arts, heritage, cultural and community organizations throughout Washington, D.C., working to promote economic development and appreciation of the capital’s rich panoply of heritage and arts attractions by linking visitors and residents alike to Washington’s cultural treasures. Coalition members range from nationally known institutions such as the Kennedy Center and the Corcoran Gallery of Art to important neighborhood organizations such as the Anacostia Economic Development Corporation and the Lincoln Theatre in Shaw. Cultural Tourism DC works with a wide array of partners in both the public and private sectors, including the Office of the Mayor and the Washington, DC Convention and Tourism Corporation, to make Washington a world-class destination for cultural tourism. Specifically, the coalition aims to:

increase the visibility of local cultural institutions

maximize the economic impact of visitors on these institutions and their neighborhoods

serve as a catalyst for urban revitalization in neighborhoods with potential as tourist destinations

Mr. Fitzpatrick is a graduate of Brown University, the University of Virginia and Stanford Law School. In addition to serving on the board of Cultural Tourism DC for the past three years, Mr. Fitzpatrick served on the board of visitors of Stanford Law School and co-chaired the Stanford Law Society in Washington.

Founded in 1945, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, a leading international law firm, numbers more than 900 lawyers with offices in Albany, Austin, Brussels, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, New York, Philadelphia, Riverside, Riyadh (affiliate), San Antonio, San Francisco and Washington. The firm has a diversified practice and represents regional, national and international clients in a wide range of areas, including antitrust; banking and financial institutions; capital markets; communications; corporate and securities; employee benefits; energy, land use and environment; entertainment; estate planning, wealth transfer and probate; financial restructuring; government contracts; health; insurance; intellectual property; international; investment management; labor and employment; litigation; mergers and acquisitions; privatization; project development and finance; public law and policy; real estate and finance; taxation; and technology.